Research has shown that potassium is a vital electrolyte that should be incorporated into one's diet. Insufficient potassium may lead to chronic tiredness, muscular cramps, and fatigue.
Eating a high potassium diet has excellent health benefits, especially for people afflicted with hypokalemia.This condition, characterized by potassium insufficiency, can lead to diabetes, hypertension, stroke, arthritic or rheumatic conditions, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart disease, and intestinal pain. There have been known cases of memory problems and improper functioning of the nervous system due to potassium deficiency. This shows that potassium may also be responsible for regulating muscle function and nerve activity. The mineral also promotes an overall sense of well-being.
Other nutritional benefits of potassium rich foods include:
Good for the heart: Potassium rich foods help keep the body healthy by lowering blood pressure. People suffering from hypertension and congestive heart disease can obtain significant relief from their symptoms by eating a high potassium diet. Potassium, when incorporated as an integral element in nutrition, also helps normalize heartbeat. Other benefits of a high potassium diet are that it reduces the incidence of heart arrhythmia and heart attack. In fact, one of the benefits of high potassium foods is that when they are combined with a diuretic, these supplements and foods are known to decrease the incidence of stroke by an astonishing 60% in men.
Water level regulator: Potassium keeps the skin healthy and sends oxygen to the brain. It decreases the risks of kidney stones and stroke. It also stimulates the kidneys to eliminate waste, thereby maintaining balanced water levels in the body. Besides these benefits, eating a high potassium diet restores alkaline salts to the bloodstream by neutralizing acids.
Pain management: Other benefits of high potassium foods include their role in waste elimination and as pain desensitizers in controlling convulsions, headaches, and migraines.
System strengthener: Eating a high potassium diet strengthens the bones and the muscles, while promoting faster healing of injuries like cuts and bruises.
Mental ability booster: Potassium also helps alleviate the symptoms of psychological problems such as depression, confusion, hallucination, psychosis, and anxiety.
Foods rich in potassium include: citrus fruits, apples, bananas, apricots, legumes, potatoes, lima beans, peas, nuts, spinach, lettuce, kale, green leafy vegetables, meats, cod, flounder, and sardines.